Posted by Chiew Ling | Posted in CL's file | Posted on 09-09-2010
I attended at a boy’s 1-year-old birthday party recently. I was asked to bless the birthday boy after the blowing out of candles and cake cutting. As I requested the family to come forward so that I could bless the boy together with the family, I realised the men in the family were all not there.
The father of the boy is working in another country, the his grandpas from both sides are not working in Kuching either, one in a far away country and the other in another town in Sarawak. The uncles of the boy are absent too. Sitting at the table were all females except for only one distant grand uncle.
This is a true true case of a generation of missing fathers.
Those are cases of fathers who are physically absent. There are fathers who are physically present but in the true true sense, they are not functioning as fathers, so it is as if the fathers are not around.
Recently, I talked to some wives and girl friends. Actually, I know their husbands and boyfriends before I know the wives and girl friends. It was through the men that I got to know the ladies. After talking to the ladies, my conclusion is that the ladies are functioning more like men, more like “She is the man” scenario. They are more like the Head of the families rather than their husbands. The ladies are more matured, taking most of the responsibilities, financing the family, taking care of the kids, cooking, cleaning and . . . In some cases, they even have to clean up the mess that their husbands have made, their debts, their families issues, their fights and quarrels, their businesses, . . .
After looking at these cases, I want to ask, where are the men???
Will real man please stand up?
Then I looked around me, to my great comfort, that in God’s house, I do find real men. Men who are the bread winner, men who lead their families in following Christ and serving God, men who love and care for their families, men who take turns with their wives to wake up at night to feed their babies, to baby sit so that their wives can go out, at times to serve at church, men who do housework, . . .
Here are some of them. I won’t say that they are perfect husbands or fathers but they are doing a good job. I pray that they will be examples for other to follow. I must say that there are many more good husbands and fathers out there. I
Hen and family
Hen feeding Ricca or the other way round?
Ee Wei and family
Ee Wei and Ezekiel
Shey Hian and family
Shey Hian and Shannen
Michael and family
Michael and Brittany and Melvyn
David and family
David and Laetitia
Ah Kit and family
Kit and Zoe
For all those men who are not there yet, there is hope for in Christ, don’t be discouraged. By God’s grace, may you depend on His strength and start working towards being the man God intended you to be. Amen
For those men who are doing well, keep at it, keep up the good work for we are not there yet, the journey has just started. May our Lord give you strength and sustain you. May God bless you and your families. Amen.